From Richard Baxter as it appears in The Reformed Pastor:
The strength of Christians is the honor of the Church.
When they are inflamed with the love of God,
and live by a lively working faith,
and set light by the profits and honors of the world,
and love one another with a pure heart fervently,
and can bear and heartily forgive a wrong,
and suffer joyfully for the cause of Christ,
and study to do good,
and walk inoffensively and harmlessly in the world,
are ready to be servants to all men for their good,
becoming all things to all men in order to win them to Christ,
and yet abstaining from the appearance of evil,
and seasoning all their actions with a sweet mixture of prudence, humility, zeal, and heavenly mindedness
– oh, what an honor are such to their profession!
What an ornament to the Church;
and how serviceable to God and man!
Men would sooner believe that the gospel is from heaven, if they saw more such effects of it upon the hearts and lives of those who profess it.
(line breaks mine)
No comments:
Post a Comment